During a family trip to Florida, twins Zara and Zeeshan set aside their quarrels and work together to help an ailing turtle on the beach. - (Baker & Taylor)

Eisner-nominated
A 2024 Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Nominated for the 2024 Jane Addams Children's Book Award
A Kirkus Best Book of 2023
A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2023
A YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection
A 2024 Texas Library Association Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Selection

From Saadia Faruqi and Shazleen Khan comes a relatable, funny, and heart-wrenchingly honest graphic novel about Muslim American siblings who must learn how to stop fighting and support each other in a world that is often unkind.

It's hard enough being a kid without being teased for a funny sounding name or wearing a hijab.

It's even harder when you're constantly fighting your sibling—and Zara and Zeeshan really can't stand each other. During a family trip to Florida, when the bickering, shoving, and insults reach new heights of chaos, their parents sentence them to the worst possible fate— each other’s company! But when the twins find an ailing turtle, it presents a rare opportunity for teamwork—if the two can put their differences aside at last.

Saadia Faruqi was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States when she was 22 years old. She writes the Yasmin series and popular middle-grade novels such as Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero. She was featured by Oprah Magazine as a woman making a difference in her community. Besides writing books for kids, Saadia also loves reading, binge-watching her favorite shows, and taking naps. She lives in Houston with her family.

Shazleen Khan is an award-winning London based Illustrator, Writer and Designer, specializing in Narrative and Sequential Illustration. Shazleen began self-publishing their graphic novel work Buuza!! in 2011 and has since gone on to achieve a First Class Bachelor’s (hons) degree in Illustration (2017) and a Master’s in Children’s Books and Graphic Novels (2018). They currently work as a freelance Illustrator while doing part-time teaching work.

Booklist Reviews

During their family trip to Florida for a medical conference honoring their mother, it doesn't take long for twins Zara and Zeeshan to start bickering. Amid their forced bonding time, the siblings discover deeper wounds that they both carry: Zara resents Zeeshan for not standing up for her in the past when being bullied for wearing her hijab, and Zeeshan is frustrated with ignorant people misinterpreting what it means to be a Pakistani American. But when Zara discovers a stranded sea turtle, Zeeshan surprises them both with his eagerness to help. Will the twins succeed in saving Sunshine's life? Or better yet, will they begin to see eye to eye? Faruqi, creator of Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero, presents a relatable sibling story that approaches tough topics like discrimination with compassion and intention. Khan's vivid digital watercolors capture the characters' warmth and expressiveness. Delicate chapter headings and insightful pop-up notifications enhance the engaging narrative. Heartwarming, funny, and bright, this book is sure to leave readers beaming. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.